59 more nursing home patients transported for COVID-19

The county is currently transporting an additional 59 residents of the Gallatin Center for Rehabilitation and Healing who have tested positive for COVID-19, to Sumner Regional Medical Center, officials said in a 7 p.m. press conference.

This makes a total of 100 residents at the nursing home that have been transported to the hospital in the past 48 hours. According to Susan Peach, CEO at Sumner Regional Medical Center, two of those patients have died.

In addition to the patients, 33 members of the Gallatin Center staff have also tested positive for the virus and are now isolated at home, Gov. Bill Lee's office said Sunday.

The Gallatin News reported on the first positive case at the facility on Thursday. On Friday night, officials were notified of more residents testing positive for COVID-19 and others showing symptoms.

Sumner County, with the assistance of multiple other agencies, transported 24 patients to Sumner Regional Medical Center that night. On Saturday, the hospital released a statement saying that one of the patients had died.

Later on Saturday, Gallatin Mayor Paige Brown released a statement saying that an additional 17 residents from the facility had been transported to Sumner Regional.

Ken Weidner, director of Sumner County Emergency Management Agency, said they are currently working to transport the remaining residents at the facility and do a thorough cleaning of the building.

As of Sunday, there were 179 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Sumner County, according to Sumner County Mayor Anthony Holt.